Regenerative heating structure



March 4, 1930. .1. VAN ACKEREN 1,749,116

REGENERATIVE HEATING STRUCTURE File'd Oct. s, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 law Q0 90 1 LJ J. VAN ACK EREN REGENERATIVE HEATING STRUCTURE March 4, 1930.

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 5, 1923 ave . March 4, 1930. .1. VAN ACKEREN REGENERATIVE HEATING STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 5, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented-Mar. I930 a TsYLvANIA STA S PATENT OFFICE .IosnPH VAN HACKEREN, orrrr'rsnunen, rENNSYL AiiI ASSIGNOR .TO THE KO]?- PERS. COMPANY, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or PENN- REGENEBATIVE HEATING STRUCTURE Application filed October 5, 1923. Serial No. 666,735.

This invention comprehends improvements in regenerative heating apparatus generally and relates particularly to apparatus that is especially adapted for distilling or coking carbonaceous materials. The invention has for an object the provision of a construction that is-thoroughly efficient in 7 7 operation and which will produce high grade coke, when employed for distilling coal, and

effect la sub'stantially complete by-product reeoveryby a distilling operation conducted with'great conservation ofheat.

Important characteristics of the invention are thejprovision of'a system ofcombustion in the flame or combustion fines of the heat-,

ends ofthe vertical lflame fiues, such connections eliminating any necessity for the employment of long vertical gas-flow chanl lfi for receivin'gthe entire fiow from re- 7 generators feedinglup burning lines, and, ina. g stead of V such ver tical channels, I providing for the up-flow combustion in the'flues a- 1 system of channels andconnections between theflues and the regenerators by which the l fservation and equality in'the distribution of heating gases are distributed for the various fiues'as 'soonf'as the gases leavethe regen- -,;erators; the construction and arrangement oft-he regenerative systemand connection of the same with the flues in such manner;

as to attain great efficiency in heating conthe heating effect in the several distilling chambers of the battery; a ready adapt-ability for operation with anextraneously derivedgas such as'producer gas or blast furnace gas, for fuel, with regenerative heating of the fuel gas in some of the regenerators.

I Inaddit'ion to the generalobjects'recited above, the invention further objects such other'improvem'ents and'adva'ntages in the same parts in each of the fuel'. 'F or convenience, tion will be confined-to provements of the present invention, the

View being taken on the several vertical planes indicated by the line AA of Fig. 3; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation of the retort construction taken on the several vertical planes indicated by the lines GG,

HH, andLL of Fig. l; and

' Fig. '3 is a composite horizontal sectional view taken inthe different horizontal planes indicated by the lines and EE of Fig. 1.

The same characters of reference designate of the drawings. In itspresent embodiment, the invention is incorporated 1n a vertical retort construcseveral views tion for producing metallurgical coke and I one that'is especially designed for the employment of an extraneously derived gas, suchasproducer gas or blast furnace gas for the present descripthis embodiment of the invention; features of construction and operation are, however, capable of other valuable applications, for, example, to apparatus generally useful in the he'at treat ment of materials or to constructions embodyingthe combination principle exemplified in my co-pending application for Letters Patent of the United States for vertical retort battery, filed February 4, 1921, Serial No. 442,357, Patent No. 1,528.228, issued March 3, 1925; consequently the invention is not confined in its scope to thespecific use and embodimentherein described as an illustrative example.

tratedviews of a vertical retort battery of the by-product type, as hereinbefore mentioned. The vertical retort battery'embodies in its construction a series of clistillin "cl1ambers such as the series 11 of vertically elongated retorts or coking chambers, the retorts of such series being contlguous to intermedlate heating walls 12 corresponding to the respective d 1% alternatingwith the regenerators 0011113118 seriesof retorts 11. The heating walls an the retort chambers extend to a great height as comparedwith their respective widths and the other crosswise dimensions of the retort battery, and the series of retorts with their corresponding intermediate heating walls are, according to the present embodiment of the invention,respectively arranged and eX- tend along one side of the battery assembly, whereas the regenerators extend along the otherside ofthebattery assembly, as will here inafter appear. Theheating walls 12 form the side walls of the respective retorts 11, as

shown more particularly in Figs. 2 and 3, and

the upper ends of the respective retorts as well as the heatingwalls are reinforced by side refractory walls designated generally by the reference character 15. I

p The coal to be coked 's charged into the upper end of the retorts 11, and the completed coke is discharged through openingsat the bottom of said retorts. Because of the great height of the retorts as compared with their width and crosswise, dimensions, the retort battery is preferably a uous vertical retort.

employed as a contin- When so employed, a continuous feed of carbonaceous material maybe maintained through the retorts 11,

with continuous discharge of the finished coke from the bottoms of such retorts. desired, a suitable form of coke handling and discharging apparatusmay be employed for receiving and handling the coke as'it drops their respective heatingv walls.

from the bottoms of said retorts, for example,

apparatus such as is shown and described in my prior application for LettersPatent of the United States for regenerativeheating structure, filed July 241, 1922, Serial No. 576,985.

(The; heat for coking the charges of coal in the several retorts 11 is derived from the heating walls12-corresponding to said retorts. Each heating wall 12 isconstituted of a plurality of vertical or combustion flues 37 that are operatively disposed in singlegroups in 7 That is to say, all ,of the heating fines of each heating wall operate concurrently for flow in thesame direction; in'fact, the flow is inthe same (ill? rection during the reversal period throughout'the entire system of fines of the battery,

7 as will hereinafterappeara The regenerators 38 are located on that side of-the'battery opposite from the retorts 11 and heating walls 12 and are separated from said retorts and heating wallsby themediate wall structure 16. As shown in 3, the regenera'tors are located in a singleseries along one side of the battery, with the ma]or vertical planes of the regenerators parallelto' the major vertical planes of the retorts and heating walls. Operatively, the seriesof regenerators 38 is disposed into two groups R and S, comprising a pair of regenerators,

and the regenerators comprising the groups into theregenerators from the'flues. Onre versal of" the battery, at the end of each operating period, the inflow regenerators become outflow regenerators and'the outflow regenerators become inflow regenerators,

' Each regeneratorBSispreferably a high narrow upright chamber containing open brickwork, orcheckerwork a0, and having 'a sole channel etl underneath and opemng ,up'

into the checkerworln, Elbe-several regenerav tors are heated by the hot combustion prod uots that are exhaustedfrointhe flame or combustion flues hereinbefore mentioned and then,on reversal, impart lieat to the medium that theyfeed to-thelfiues. WVhether of the".

group 11,01 of thegroup 'S, the regenerators 1 are'all so connected with appropriatei'fiues,

that the inflow always takes place in an upward direction. through. the regenerat'or's'," whereas the outflow 1s always downwardly V through said regenerators.

In the operation of the an eXtraneously which employs, preferably,

batter accordin 1 to the present embodiment of theinvention several .regenerators' constituting the group B, when in inflowoperation deliver air and fuel gas to the flame fiu'es'duriii'g the periodwhen the latter are operating for downflow combustion these regenerators R. receive'the exhaust gases from the flame fines after reversal, that is to say, during the period when the fiam eiiues'la're Joperating for upflow combustion; On the other hand, the

several rcgenerators constituting the group S operate'for inflow of air andfuel gas todeliverthe same to the lines when the latter are 'operating' for upflow combustion, and

the said regenerators Sope'rate for outflow to receive the exhaust gases from the fines during the period when the latter are operat- Y ing for downflow combustion. This method of operation requires the regenerators Rto be connected with the tops of the flame fines 37 and the regenerators being a special feature of-the invention, as will hereinafterappear.

S to the bottoms of .1 7 said fines, the connections for this purpose 1 Theiseveral regenerators of each group R "and S are constituted of air regenerators A and gas regenerators P,-when operatlngfor -.tion; I

inflow, and'both 'regenerators of each group are constituted of wastegasregeneratorsVV When operating.- for outflow However, the "several; regenerators R operate foriinflow while atthe same time the several regeneratorsSfoperate for outflow and, on reversal of the flow through the flame flues, the several regenerators S are switched to the inflow function while concurrently the other regenerators R are switched to the outflow funcof the groups lead at their upper ends into ducts 53 of whicheach duct 53 is connected with the upper horizontal flues 55 of a pair of adjacent heating walls. Said horizontal flues 55 are directly connected with the tops of the flame flues'in theircorresponding heating walls by ports .54.. lVith this construction, each regenerator A of the groups R is -directly connected with the upper ends of the flame flues 37 of a pair of adjacent heating'walls, and

alliof the flame flues ofthebattery are thus 1f [vided with direct connections with regenerators that supply air to the flues,"whenever downflowcombustion is maintained in the flues; v y

The several regenerators-P of the groups R 'lead'at'their upper ends into ducts 63 of which eachduct 631s connected with the upzper horizontal flues 65 ofla pair of adjacent heating Walls. Said horizontal flues 65 are directly connected. with the tops of theflame fluesin their corresponding heating walls by x ports64.- With this construction, each regeir erator P of the groups R is, directly connected with the upper ends of theflame flues,

37 ofa pair ofadjacent heating walls, and all of the flame flues of the battery are; thus pro vided with direct, connections with regeneratorsthat supply fuel gas to the flues, whenever downflow. combustionis maintained in the flues;

.JThe several regenerators A of the groups S. lead/at their upper ends into ducts 73, which respectively; connect with horizontal channels 74 located respectively above the flues'jof a pair of adjacent heating. walls.

' Each horizontal feedchannelfYt is connected by duets 75'with vertical air channels 76, which vertical air channels 7 6 extend clown- Wardly through the heating Wall, respe v I 5 b ween .apair of adjacent flues, with the exception of the air channel located between theextreme inner flue and the regenerator, as shown'in Fig. '-1. iththe exception of said last mentioned channel 7 6, eachair channel is connected by branching ports 77 to the bottom of the pair :offlame flues between which 1t is located. The vertical airchannel between the extreme-interior flue and the regeneratoris connected with th'atflue'by,

inbefore described, instead. of fuel connections with regenerators that supply air to the flues, whenever upflow combustion is maintained in the flues. I

' The several regenerators P of the groups S lead at their upper ends into ducts 83, which respectively connect with horizontal channels 84 located respectively above the flues of a pair of adjacent heating walls. Each horizontal feed channel 84' is connected by ducts 85 with vertical fuel gas channels 86, which alternate with the vertical air channels 76, as shown in Fig. 1. With the exception of the channel 86 locateddirectly adjacent to the side wall 12' of the structure, each fuel gas channel is connected by branching ports 87 to the bottom of the pair of flame flues between which it is located. The vertical fuel gas channel at the extreme outer-part of the structure is connected with the adjacent flue by a single port 88. lVith this construction, each regenerator P of the groups S is connected by fuel gas'distributing channels with the lower ends of the flame flues 37 of a pair nels of bothgroups 76 and 86 preferably e tend to and through the top and bottom of thestructure -)rovidin ins aection )orts,

whichmay'be opened individually forcleaning or other purposes. Normally the inspection portsboth at top and bottom are kept closed by plugs or covers. Provision is made 3 merating the retort structure alternawith a relatively rich fuel gas such as oven gas. F or this purpose the tops of the individual flues 37 of each heating wall are provided with coke oven gas feed chan-.

nels 89. for feeding coke oven gas to the flues during downflow combustion, and the bot toms of said individual flues with individual coke oven gas channels 90, for feeding such gasto the fines during upflow operation of the retort. In coke oven gas operation, the regencrators P of either group R or S are operated for feeding air to the flame flues, through thevarious channels and ducts-herete whether the combustion be up or down through the flame flues.

The operation of the retort battery, as suming that a relatively lean or dilute gas. such as ordinary producer gas, is employed as the fuel in the flues of the heating walls is as follows: Ifit be assumed that the several regenerators comprising the groups It be operating for inflow and that the fines throughout the battery be operating for downfiow combustion, it follows that during this period theregenerators P of the groups R are employed for preheating the fuel gas which is subsequently introduced into the fines; The regenerators A of'the groups R are employed for preheating the airto supply the combustion of the gas in the fines. Concurrently all the regenerators of the groups S operate for outflow, or as waste gas regenerators W. The air and fuel gas passes upwardly through the regenerators A and P of the groups R, thence through the ducts 53 and-63 to the horizontal fines 55 and 65 which extend above the tops of the flame fines. From thehorizontal fines 55 and 65 the air and fuel gas directly delivered through the ports 54 and 64 into the tops of the flamefiues. Burning downwardlyin the flame fines 37 the air and fuel gas discharge at the bottom of said fines as'waste gas through the ducts 77 and 78, 87 a and 88 into the channels 76 and 86, through which the waste gases rise to the top oft-he strnc-,

tnre. At the top of the channels? 6 and 86, the gases pass from said channels through the ducts and into the horizontal channels 74 and 84,'whichdeliverthe waste gases to the ducts 7 3 and 83. "In'tu'rn, the ducts 73 and 83 feed the waste gases to the tops of the regenerators A and'P of the seriesS. Passing down through said regenerators S the waste gases finally exhaust-through the as sole channels 41 into theusual waste gastunnel; Inasmuch as the vertical channels 76 and 86 are directly connectedat' their tops with the topsof the downfiow operating waste gas regenerators, any heat losses that may occur by reason of the connter current flow between waste gas and downburning flame in the fines of the heating walls, will be communicated directly 'to the checkerwork in said waste gas regenerators, with the result that such heat-loss is again transmitted to the moommg air or fuel gas, when there-V generators S become inflow regenerators after reversal. However,in the structure of this invent-ion, direct heat losses from the flames in the downburning fines are practically negligible, inasmuch as the waste gases from said fines pass directly into the channels 76 and 86 which act at this timeas upfiow channels. The waste gases themselves have a temperature very little below the temperature in the fines 37, so that the heat difierential between the gas in the fines and the waste gas in the channels 76, 86 is very slight. In fact, the heat of the gases in the channels 76, 86 may assist the heat in the flame fines 37 in distilling the carbonaceous material in the adjacent retort. c

7 After reversal, as hereinbefore mentioned, the flame fines 37 are switched to upflow operation and concurrently the regenerators of the groups S become inflowcregenerator's and the regenerators or the groups B ontflowree generators." The incoming fuel gas and air rises npwardly'through' the'regenerators of the groups S and passes into the. ducts'83 and 7 3 of the regenerators P and A From the ducts 83 and 73' at the top of said regenera tors, the'fnel gas and air-passes into 'the' horizontal feed channels 84 and 74 and thence through the feed ducts 85 and 75 into the vertical distributing channels 86 and 7 6. Passing downwardly through said channels 86 and 7 6,the fuel gas and air are delivered from the bottom of said channels through the ducts 87, 88 and 77, 78 into the bottoms of the fiamefiues 37 Where ignition of the fuel from the npburning fiamesin the fines 37 pass from the top of said fines through the gas in theair takes place. The wastegases through said regenerators R and thence out into the exhaust main through the sole ch annels 41. VVhenup'flow combustion is main: tained in the flame fines 37, any heat taken from the flame within the fines by the countercurrent of air and fuel gas in the channels 76 and, 86 isimmediately"delivered directly back to theflames within the fines, there being a direct recuperative action during upfiow combustion in the fines.- This recuperative action is attained by the structure of the i g invention, inasmuch as the fuel gas and the air is distributed for the individual fines as soon as it leaves the top of the inflow regen erators, that is, by the feed channels 86 and 76. 1 t

The invention as hereinabove set forth may v be variously embodiedwithin the scope of the claims hereinafter made.

I claim:" a 1 1. In a vertical retortbattery, in combination a plurality of high narrow retort chambers, each adapted to receive through its top 7 ,r the charge tobe coked and adapted todis-.

chargethrough its bottom the coked charge;

heating walls contiguous tosuch retort chambers and respectivelycomprising combustion fiuesaltcrnately operable in'nnison for up} fiow and downflowcombustion; horizontal fines respectively connected with the tops of] the combustion fines; vertical feed channels respectively connected with the bottoms of i the combustion flues, said feed channels being located in the heating walls in alternation with'the combustion fines; and groups of" high narrow regenerators, the regenerators of one group serving'the combustion fines for down'fiow combustion and being directly con- 1 Y nected in pairs with the horizontal channels at the top of the combustion fines, and the regenerators of the other group serving-the combustion fines forrupfiow combustion and,

i being each connected at its top with some of the'vertical feed channels, each group of regenerators when operatlng for inflow comd prising both air and fuel gas regenerators.

. 2. In a vertical retort battery, in combination: a plurality of high narrow retort chambers, each adapted to receive through its top I the charge to be coked and adapted to discharge through its bottom the coked charge; heating walls contiguous to such retort chambers and respectively compr sing combustion fines alternately operable in unison for up-' generators of one group serving the combus with some of the vertical feed channels, each group of regenerators when operating for nflow comprising both ZLlI ZIIlCl fuel gas retion'flues for downflow combustion and being directly connected in pairs with the horizontal channels at the top of the combustion hues, and the regenerators of the other group vserving the combustion fines for upflow combustion and being each connected at its top generators.

3. In a vertical retort battery, in combina- I tion: a plurality of high narrow retort chambers, each adapted to receive through its top the charge to be coked and adapted to dis I charge through its bottom the coked charge; heating walls contiguous to such retort chamr bersv and respectively comprising combustion flues alternately operable in unison-for up flow and downflow combustion;'horizontal fiues respectively connected with the tops of the combustion flues; vertical fee-d channels -'respectively connected with the bottoms of the combustion flues, said feed channels being located in the heating walls in alternation with the combustion flues; and groups of high narrow regenerators, thecregenerators of one group serving the combustion flues for clownflow combustion and belng directly connected in pairs with the horizontal channels at the topof the combustion fines, and the regenerators of the other. group servingv the coinbustion fines for upflow combustion and being each connected at its top with some of the vertical feed channels, each group of regen erators when operating forinflow being joint ly I or separatelyoperable iorconveying air and an extraneously derived gas.

' 4i. In a Vertical retort battery, in c'omb1nation: a plurallty of retort chambers; heating fwalls contiguous to such retort chambers and v respectively comprising combustion flues alternately operable in'unison "for upflow and do'wnflow' combustion; horizontal flues rev respectively comprisin operable for conveying air to the said fines spectively connected with the tops of the combustion fiues; vertical feed channels respectively connected with the bottoms of the com- 1 bustion flues, said feed channels being located in the heating walls in alternation with the combustion fines; and groups of regenerators, the regenerators of one group serving thecombustion fines for downflow combustion and being directly connected in pairs with the horizontal channels at the top of the combustion lines, and the regenerators of the other-group serving the combustion fines for upflow combustion and being each connected at its top with some of the vertical feed channels, each group of regenerators whenoperating for inflow comprising both airand fuel gas regenerators.

5. Ina vertical retort battery, in combination: a-plurality of retort chambers; heating walls contiguous to such retort chambers and vertical combustion flues alternately operable in unison for upflow and down-flow combustion; vertical feed channels respectively connected with the bottoms of the combustion fiues, said feed channels being located in theheating walls in alternation with the combustion fines; and groups of regenerators, the regenerators of one group being connected at their tops directly with the tops of the combustion lines,

and the regenerators of the other group being connectedat their tops with the vertical feed channels. 1 s 6. In a vertical retort battery, in combination: a plurality of retort chambers; heating walls contiguous to such retort chambers and respectively comprising vertical combustion flues alternately operable in unison for upflow and downfiow combustion; vertical feed channels respectively connected with the bottoms of the combustion flues, said teed chan- 'n-els being located in the heating walls in alternation with the combustion flues and being composed of fuel gas channels alternating with air channels for feeding both air and fuel gas to each combustion flue; and groups of pairs of regenerators, the regenerators of one group being connected in pairs at their tops directly with the tops of the combustion fines and the individual regenerators of the pairs of the other groupbeing connected the one'with the vertical fuel gas feed channels and the other with the vertical air feed chan nels.

7. Aregenerative heating structure, having a plurality of retort chambers with heating walls contiguous thereto and respectively comprising vertical combustion flues alternately Operable in unison for upflow and 'downflow combustion, combined with two groups of regenerators, the regenerators of one group being connected at their tops directly'with the tops of the combustion flues, and the regenerators of the other group being connected at their tops with the bottoms of the combustion fines by duct means alternate ing with said combustion flues.

' 8. A regenerative heatlng structure, having a plurality of retort chambers with heating walls contiguous thereto and respectively comprising vertical combustion fiues alternately operable'in unison for upflow and downflow combustion, combined with two groups of regenerators, the regeneratorsof 10 one group being connected directly with the tops of the combustion fines, and the regenerators of the other group being connected with the bottoms of the combustion fiues by duct means alternating with said combustion flues. I, I p V 9. In a vertical retort battery, in combination: vertically flueol'heating walls; retort chambers contiguous thereto; anda regenera, I tive system; the walls being provided with vertical flow channels alternating with the Y fiues said fines and channels communicating a with each other at their lower ends, the upper endsot said flues and channels being separately connected'with the regenerative sys-- tem'. 7 V

10. In a vertical retort battery, in combination :heating walls and retort chambers adj acent thereto; a regenerative system on the same level as the'heating walls and chambers; the walls being provided with substantially vertical parallel flow channels and vertical flues communicating with each" other at their lower ends, said flow channels being located in the heating Walls intermediate the vertical 3 fiues, the upper ends or said fines and channels being connected with the regenerative system at the top of the latter. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. 7 4o JOSEPH VAN 'ACKEREN." 

